ArticlesDraft IRP on Track

The energy department expects NEDLAC to complete its work on the Draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) soon.

The energy minister, Jeff Radebe, revealed this during an address at the 4th IEF OFID Symposium on Energy Poverty in Cape Town.

The Draft IRP, South Africa’s policy blueprint for the power sector, was drawn up in conjunction with experts from industry and academia.

It was published for comment at the end of August 2018.

During a media briefing last year at the release of the revised plan, the minister indicated that a number of policy adjustments had been made including the retention of annual build limits for the period up to 2030, the inclusion of 1000MW of coal-to-power in 2023–2024, based on two already procured and announced projects, the inclusion of 2500MW of hydro power in 2030 to facilitate the RSA-DRC treaty on the Inga Hydro Power Project and the utilization of existing PV, Wind and Gas allocations in the plan.

The following new additional capacity by 2030 was included in the Draft IRP: 1000 MW of generation from Coal, 2 500 MW from Hydro, 5 670 MW from PV, 8 100 MW from Wind and 8 100 MW from Gas.

As part of the consultation process, roadshows were held in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, North West, Western Cape and Northern Cape.

In the latest speech, the minister confirmed that, once NEDLAC had completed its review, the Draft IRP will be tabled in cabinet for approval.

In terms of liquid fuels, the minister indicated that the “current oil refining infrastructure is aging and is unable to meet our clean fuels requirements, unless major upgrades are effected”.

He added that South Africa was in need of new infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for petrol, diesel and associated by-products.

Consequently, discussions with countries that produce crude oil have been undertaken to “look at possibilities of developing additional refinery capacity in provinces throughout South Africa”.

As regards the importation of bulk gas via a pipeline from Mozambique, the minister pointed out that the “energy project requires of us (South Africa and Mozambique) to continuously work together in improving a cross-border regulatory framework that is necessary for a conducive investment environment and improved gas trading”.